Something Borrowed
by atomic-oblaat
Summary: Stood up on what would be the most important day of his life, Yusuke is left feeling worthless and alone. It's up to his friends to show him just how worthwhile he is, and maybe play a few drinking games while they're at it. Basically Yusuke x everybody.


AN: I'm pretty sure that this is somehow going to evolve into one big YYH orgy at some point, at least that's what I had originally intended, but once again, that damned plot interferes with my goals. I swear, I just can't write PWP. Anyways, it's 6:00 AM and I really just want to get this thing posted. So R/R. You know the drill.

Disclaimer: Seriously, if I owned YYH, the fighting tournaments would just be orgies. So mourn or celebrate the fact that it's not mine, but be certain that it's not.

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There was no clock in the old church. Yusuke would know, he had certainly spent enough time searching for one; but as he let his eyes roam over the vast congregation before him for what felt like the thousandth time (and probably was), he finally had to resign himself to the fact that that's all he would see – countless faces, some demon, some human, but all wearing the same grim expression of disappointment and pity. No clock, and no Keiko.

The clock he could do without. Even in it's absence, the sun could speak for itself, and it was speaking loud and clear, if the angry red glare pouring wantonly through the stained glass windows was any indication. Sundown. It meant that they had been waiting in this stupid church for his stupid bride for nearly two hours. If everything were running as it should be, the service would have already been over and they'd all be at the reception hall, eating cake and dancing to really stupid, outdated love songs. Yusuke had really been looking forward to smearing Keiko's piece of cake all over her face too; he wondered idly what they would do with the cake now. He hoped they didn't expect _him _to take it.

In a couple more minutes, the church bell reverberated throughout the chapel, signalling the passing of another hour. The sun was setting fast; it was nearly dark now. Yusuke still wasn't sure exactly what time it was, as he found it pointless to count out the chiming of the bell, but the sound itself served as ample motivation for him to get his ass out of there. He didn't think he could stand the sound of his friends whispering in scandalized voices any longer; he couldn't stand the sight of that stupid plaster Jesus on his stupid plaster cross watching him with a smug look that said quite plainly, "Looks like you weren't good enough after all, Urameshi."

He tore off his tuxedo jacket in one jerking yank, and threw it on the ground with as much force as he could inspire in the sickeningly crisp fabric, then stalked off down the aisle, his hands stuffed in his pockets and his ears tightly shut, metaphorically speaking. He could hear his friends calling after him, their worried, sympathetic tones carrying through to him, but he blocked out their words entirely. He didn't want to hear it. He wanted to be far away from this place, somewhere where he could vent his frustration – shoot a couple spirit guns through the Stratos, beat the ever-loving crap out of some local fauna. It was really too bad he was stuck in the Human World for this fucking wedding. Nothing beat the thrill of mauling a few low class demon scum to take the edge off life.

In all honesty, he just wanted to cry. Not a lot, of course; he was still a man after all, and a Demon King at that, but a couple of tears were surely excusable, if not expected in a situation like this. He _had_ just been stood up at his own wedding.

Yusuke supposed it wasn't that much of a shock, when you got right down to it. Keiko had always been the type to put him in his place, and he had always thought she could do better than him anyways. Maybe now she'd get the chance to do just that. Yusuke's heart burned briefly, the kind of burn that starts in your chest and expands outwards, crawling through your veins until your whole body just _aches_. He sped up, passing through the city in a blur, making his way towards Genkai's temple and the surrounding forest. He needed to get rid of that burn, and turning his inner pain outwards sounded like the best course of action. Kurama might need to bring in the special forces on Grandma's woods when he was finished.

Yusuke hoped briefly that Keiko wouldn't be there, at the shrine. He could barely stand of think of her at the moment, he wasn't sure he was ready to see her face to face – hell, he was POSITIVE he wasn't ready. Besides, there was no way she'd be there, he realised when he gave it serious thought. She knew him too well, knew that it would be the first place he'd go.

She was a smart girl at the thick of it, smarter than he'd ever be anyways. Not weighing herself down, getting trapped in a union with a deadbeat-human-slash-warrior maoh who can't sit still and spends at least half his time in an alternate world of demons and monsters – it never would have worked. He'd always kind of had that inkling, but Keiko seemed to have figured it out more completely and faster at that. She was the smart one, after all.

Yusuke came to a halt at the gate to Genkai's sprawling property. He didn't really need to catch his breath, but something compelled him to stop – some inner need to pause and take stock of his situation, as if it was possible he'd made a mistake somewhere along the line. A little piece of his brain seemed to think that this wasn't happening. The whole day just seemed so surreal, so separated from reality. It had been fun up 'till the actual runaway bride part, exciting even. Yusuke never thought that something like marriage could excite him, but in the face of it, it had. He had always thrilled to new adventures, uncharted territory; and marriage, if nothing else, was definitely that.

Yusuke had been looking forward to the reception most of all. All of his friends from the Dark Tournament, the Makai Tournament and even his human friends from the battle against Sensui had shown up for the wedding; hell, even Mukuro, Yomi and his son had shown their faces, though Kurama had thus far stonily refused to share exactly how he had coerced Yomi into coming, and Yusuke was unsure he really wanted to know anyways.

But they had all been there, and Yusuke had really wanted to party with them; he would have especially given anything to see some of them dance. The Wind Master, Jin, for one, had already made Yusuke promise to save him a dance. He had thought the request kind of odd at first, but then again, if dancing with Jin was anything like fighting him it was sure to be a blast, to say the least. Chuu had even promised to stay relatively sober for the wedding, though he hadn't mentioned the reception. Yeah, it was bound to be a real party, and now he would miss it. What a shame.

"Stop complaining, Detective," came a sharp voice from behind him. "Your misery is suffocating me."

Yusuke whirled around; his eyes automatically trained downward several inches to meet the intruder. He already knew exactly whom he'd see. "Hiei." He tried to glare at the demon, but the ill will just wasn't there. "Don't tell me you're reading my mind, you jerk. And right after I got myself jilted at the altar too, yeesh."

"Hn," was Hiei's characteristically stoic response, "it's kind of hard not to when all I can hear for miles is the moronic fuzz of your angst-ridden thoughts." He crossed his arms and scowled, though instead of turning away churlishly like he usually did, his gaze remained fixed intently on Yusuke and his eyes lacked their usual peevish gleam. If Yusuke weren't in his right mind, he'd think Hiei actually _cared._ Unfortunately for Hiei, Yusuke _wasn't _quite in his right mind.

"Gee thanks," he said sarcastically, shoving his hands back into his tuxedo pockets. "You come all this way out here to insult me when I'm trying to be alone to mourn?"

Hiei rolled his eyes, which were once again just as ornery-looking as ever. "Save it, Detective, no one's died yet, though I must admit, you're sorely tempting me to change that." Yusuke thought he saw the edges of Hiei's mouth tip upwards into a smile. "Besides," the petit demon continued, "Kurama and the others seem to think you shouldn't be alone at the moment and I'm actually inclined to agree."

Yusuke was taken aback. It was one thing for Hiei to express his concern in vague unnoticeable mannerisms, but for him to _actually_ come looking for him out of that same concern…? "What's this," he scoffed, trying to cover the sudden pang in his heart with sarcasm, "Hiei of the obnoxiously bad temper and notorious cold heartedness seriously cares about my well-being? Could I possibly be dreaming?"

Hiei did look away, finally, at that. "Hardly," he said icily. "I was actually more concerned about the well-being of this forest. It's old, and Kurama would personally see to your timely demise were you given the opportunity to go on your little self-destructive rampage."

"So you _are_ concerned for my health then."

Hiei scowled. "Hn. Believe whatever you want to make yourself feel better."

Yusuke grinned. Typical Hiei. "So I'm not guessing you came all the way out here just to keep me from pummelling a few trees," he said, changing the subject slightly. While it was obvious that Hiei was, in fact, here out of consideration, Yusuke doubted it meant Hiei wanted to hold hands and sing 'Kumbaya' in the middle of the woods.

"Actually," he began, looking at Yusuke again, "I came to deliver a message."

The former Spirit Detective perked up immediately, his mind racing to Keiko. _Had she come back? Was she there at the church, waiting for him? Maybe there was still a chance for him after all…_

Hiei spoke up before he managed to be swept away by the glimmer of hope dancing through his brain. "Not that kind of message, Yusuke."

Yusuke almost missed the demon's rare use of his first name as his heart deflated. _Oh well, _he thought sullenly, _this is what happens when you get your hopes up, Urameshi. Just let it go, you're acting like a heartbroken teenager. Er… Make that a teenage girl. I AM still a teenager, and I AM pretty heartbroken. _Yusuke felt like punching himself in the face.

"It's from the others," Hiei continued, shooting him a weird look, "they wanted me to tell you that they're having something called a 'guy's night in,' whatever that means. Chuu seemed to be the one to suggest it, so I'm sure it's just some kind of ridiculous excuse to drink oneself into oblivion-"

"I'm in!" Yusuke practically shouted, waving his hand in the air as if volunteering himself to answer a question in class, something he had absolutely no experience in. He didn't even give Hiei a chance to finish his sentence, and the pipsqueak's surprise showed.

"Alright already, you're in," he confirmed shortly, "there's no need to say it so loudly, I'm not even two yards away from you, you idiot."

Yusuke grinned, his spirits rising already. If he wouldn't be allowed to bloody himself senseless, then getting drunk off his ass with his friends seemed like a good enough substitute. Trust Chuu to have thought of it.

Hiei rolled his eyes again, looking near exasperated. "I'll never understand the need to drown oneself in alcohol, but if you think that this ridiculous idea will somehow make you less angst-ridden and destructive then who am I to deny you that pleasure?"

Yusuke grinned, falling into stride with Hiei as they took up a leisurely pace back towards town. "Aw, thanks Hiei," he drawled. "Y'know, I've always wondered what kind of drunk you are."

Hiei 'hmphed.' "Well don't get your hopes up, Detective, I've never been inebriated before and I don't plan on changing that just to cater to your amusement."

Yusuke laughed and noticed the slow effect Hiei was having on his temperment. He was at the benefit, once again,of how the sardonic and often downright insulting jaganshi was able to lift his spirits so easily.

"Don't be so sure about that," Yusuke continued, chuckling. "We'll get you wasted before the night's up, believe you me."

"…Hn."

They were walking east now, still heading back towards town, retracing Yusuke's earlier flight. He wondered for a moment if they were going back to the church, but he didn't ask. For now, he was content to simply pace along next to Hiei, his hands in his pockets, in no real hurry. It was peaceful, really; the cool night air, the sounds and smells of the city mixed with the crisp fresh scent of the forest and the warmly pulsing demonic aura of his friend beside him.

Yusuke really was grateful to Hiei. None of his other friends could have soothed his spirits in quite the same way the fire apparition had done. The genius tactician Kurama must have realised the same thing to have sent him.

Yusuke supposed it shouldn't have made sense that Hiei's brash, seemingly insensitive nature would be exactly what he needed in his time of emotional trauma, but it was. The fact was that Hiei had effectively calmed Yusuke down without him really realising it. Then again, it was entirely possible that Hiei hadn't been trying to do so, and that in itself was probably why it worked.

They walked a little more in silence before Yusuke muttered, "Thanks Hiei."

Hiei didn't respond, but he didn't retort either. Yusuke smiled.


End file.
